Passant Rabie
Thu, November 17, 2022
NASA's Space Launch System rocket taking off from the Kennedy Space Center early Wednesday morning.
The launch of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission sent the Orion capsule on a journey to the Moon, in addition to 10 cubesats included as secondary payloads. The Space Launch System’s upper stage successfully deployed the tiny satellites yesterday, but one of them appears to be malfunctioning.
The jumbo Moon rocket took off on Wednesday at at 1:47 a.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, officially kickstarting NASA’s Artemis Moon program. The rocket skillfully placed the Orion capsule in space for its 25.5 day journey to the Moon and back, in a mission that will prepare NASA for future crewed missions to the lunar surface.
But Orion wasn’t alone when it left Earth for this historic trip. A total of 10 low-cost cubesats were tucked inside the SLS upper stage, each designed for different missions to study the Moon, Sun, Earth, and a nearby asteorid. After Orion separated from SLS to begin its journey towards the Moon, an upper stage adapter sequentially deployed each cubesat using a timer, according to NASA. The cubesats were developed by various organizations, including the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian space agency (ASI), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Four of the CubeSats are dedicated to studies of the Moon: Lunar IceCube, LunaH-Map, OMOTENASHI, and LunIR. Southwest Research Institute’s CuSP will track the Sun’s particles and magnetic fields, while JAXA’s EQUULEUS will image Earth’s plasmasphere. NEA Scout, a product of Marshall Space Flight Center, will head to a near-Earth asteroid with the assistance of a solar sail. BioSentinel is designed to study the effects of deep-space radiation on living organisms, while the Team Miles mission will demo a propulsion scheme using plasma thrusters. ESA’s ArgoMoon has already done its part, as it observed the cryogenic propulsion stage that set Orion on its course towards the Moon.
Each cubesat has a different timeframe for communicating with its designated ground controllers. So far, six cubesats have sent a signal to mission operators: EQUULEUS, LunIR, CuSP, LunaH-Map, ArgoMoon, and BioSentinel, NASASpaceflight first reported.
Unfortunately, JAXA’s OMOTENASHI seems to be experiencing an issue. The space agency put out a short statement earlier today saying EQUULEUS is a-okay, but that OMOTENASHI “has not completed sun acquisition,” meaning the tiny probe hasn’t referenced its position relative to the Sun, which is needed for stabilization. What’s more, “communication is not stable,” JAXA added. The space agency is “continuing operations to stablise attitude, secure power and establish communication,” the space agency wrote. OMOTENASHI is designed to land on the Moon and explore its surface as the world’s smallest lunar lander—a distinction that will have to wait.
It’s not clear how or if the Artemis 1 launch delays affected the cubesats’ electrical charges. The cubesats were packed into SLS a long time ago and the rocket endured many delays over the past few months. During a pre-launch press conference on November 14, NASA officials said ground crews were able to recharge 4 out of 10 cubesats while SLS took shelter inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on account of Hurricane Ian. The officials did admit that one unnamed cubesat had a low state of charge that would impact its ability to achieve its mission, and that the other cubesats were sufficiently charged.
We’ll be following the cubesats on their various journeys. Hopefully OMOTENASHI will spring to life and that each cubesat will eventually sign in with their respective bosses.
Aria Alamalhodaei and Devin Coldewey
Wed, November 16, 2022
After years of preparation and two false starts, NASA's heavy-lift Space Launch System has finally taken off and entered orbit. It's a big win for the space agency — even as it assigns to SpaceX tasks once meant for the SLS.
Some pre-launch jitters threatened to scrub the launch, but a "red crew" went out to the hot pad to tighten something, and a bad Ethernet switch of all things later also needed to be replaced. But everything came together about 40 minutes after the original T-0, and the rocket had a clean (and impressive-looking) ascent with no hiccups to speak of. It reached orbit and as of 13 minutes after launch the various stages, separations and cut-offs were green across the board.
The SLS is a key part of NASA's Artemis program, intended to bring humanity back to the moon "to stay," as they often emphasize. That means bringing a lot of gear up there, stuff that might take years of ferrying with smaller launch vehicles like the SpaceX Falcon 9 and Rocket Lab Electron.
The SLS was built with this kind of heavy-duty mission in mind, but setbacks and delays have dogged the program, and now there is considerable speculation that commercial heavy-lift vehicles may soon offer more bang for the buck. But it is also clearly important to the U.S. government to have an option they own top to bottom.
Now that the enormous "Mega Moon Rocket" has shown it can get to space, NASA can at least plan on putting the model to work, though that will mean building a fresh one every time — unlike some launch vehicles, this one isn't reusable.
You can watch the final countdown and takeoff here:
The mission ahead
The main goal of the Artemis I mission is to test the Orion spacecraft and its critical components, like the heat shield upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere and the communications systems, before the capsule eventually carries humans later this decade. The capsule will spend around 10 weeks going from orbit to the moon and back before splashing back down to Earth in the Pacific Ocean, where it will be recovered by a U.S. Navy ship.
NASA of course has a more detailed but easy to understand mission plan, and the diagram below shows it quite succinctly:
artemis i map
Image Credits: NASA
This was NASA's third attempt to launch the Space Launch System rocket. The first, which took place in August, was called off due to a hydrogen bleed line issue with one of the rocket’s four core stage engines; the second attempt a few days later was scrubbed for the same reason. It seems the third time was the charm after all.
This mission will have many more crucial and historic moments, so stay tuned for more as the Orion capsule makes its way moonward.
NASA's Artemis I moon rocket is flying through space for the first time. Meet the mannequins, Snoopy, and 'Shaun the Sheep' dolls along for the ride.
The Artemis I mission launched on its maiden lunar voyage in the early hours of Wednesday, November 16.
Mannequins and mementos are hitching a ride aboard NASA's Orion capsule — without people.
Artemis I is the first mission in NASA's program to land astronauts on the moon and eventually Mars.
NASA's powerful Space Launch System, with the Orion capsule designed to host astronauts perched atop the rocket, is finally on its way to the moon.
While no human is traveling aboard the Artemis I mission, it's not going empty. Mannequins, zero gravity indicators, artifacts, mementos, and more are now embarking on a 25-day journey around the moon and back — farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever gone.
It's a long-awaited first step in the space agency's efforts to get humans back to the surface of the moon for the first time since 1972. If everything goes according to plan, the Space Launch System mega rocket plans to fly the crew capsule all the way around the moon before heading back for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. That splashdown is scheduled for December 11, according to NASA.
Here are some of the cool and colorful cargo making the historic roundtrip to our nearest cosmic neighbor — the moon.
A trio of mannequins
Strapped in the commander's seat at the head of the Orion capsule is a human-sized test dummy called Commander Moonikin Campos. The name is a nod to Arturo Campos, an electrical engineer who played a key role in Apollo 13's safe return to Earth.
Clad in the new Orion Crew Survival System spacesuit, Commander Moonikin will provide NASA scientists with vital data on what humans experience during a trip to the moon. Two sensors placed behind the commander's seat and under the headrest will record the acceleration and vibration generated throughout the mission, and the mannequin itself is equipped with two sensors to measure radiation exposure.
"It's critical for us to get data from the Artemis I manikin to ensure all of the newly designed systems, coupled with an energy dampening system that the seats are mounted on, integrate together and provide the protection crew members will need in preparation for our first crewed mission on Artemis II," Jason Hutt, NASA lead for Orion Crew Systems Integration, said in a statement last year.
Two other mannequins named Helga and Zohar are riding in Orion's passenger seats.
They have torsos made of materials that mimic a woman's soft tissue, organs, and bones, along with 5,600 sensors and 34 radiation detectors to measure how much radiation exposure occurs during the mission. The only difference between the two mannequins is that Zohar is wearing a radiation protection vest, while Helga is not.
"When it comes to biological effects, different organs have different susceptibility to space radiation. Understanding the impact is very important for successful and sustainable human space exploration efforts," Ramona Gaza, science team lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said at a news briefing on August 17.
She added that the team is studying how women experience the space environment "as women in general have a higher risk of developing cancer since they have more radiation-sensitive organs such as breast tissue and ovaries."
The space agencies hope studying what these mannequins experience will prepare astronauts planning to fly around the moon on the Artemis II mission in 2024, and the Artemis III astronauts who eventually land on the moon. Insights from Zohar and Helga will be particularly useful, as the Artemis program aims to send the first woman to the moon.
A few cute, zero-gravity indicators
Zero-gravity indicators are small items aboard a spacecraft that serve as a visual indicator that it has entered zero gravity. Artemis I has a couple of cute indicators.
Shaun, of British TV show "Shaun the Sheep" fame, is flying aboard the Artemis I mission in plush doll form.
"This is an exciting time for Shaun and for us at ESA," David Parker, the European Space Agency's director for human and robotic exploration, said in a statement. "We're woolly very happy that he's been selected for the mission and we understand that, although it might be a small step for a human, it's a giant leap for lambkind."
To "train" for the journey, Shaun went on a parabolic flight aboard a special Airbus "Zero G" A310 that creates the weightless condition similar to microgravity.
A familiar fuzzy figure is also flying as a zero gravity indicator in the capsule.
Snoopy, the beloved Peanuts character, has long been associated with NASA missions since the Apollo program. In fact, the Apollo 10 lunar module got the nickname "Snoopy" because its job was to snoop around and scout the Apollo 11 landing site on the moon, according to NASA.
A plush version of the beagle — wearing a space suit designed according to NASA's strict specifications — alerted the team once the capsule reached a microgravity environment.
Lego figurines
Four Lego Minifigures are taking a ride around the moon on the Artemis I mission.
The figurines also star in Lego's "Build to Launch" series, which was designed in collaboration with NASA, to offer students lessons on different concepts and careers inspired by the Artemis missions.
"Each minifigure represents a real-life counterpart, such as a command pilot Kate and mission specialist Kyle, to help students better understand the diverse roles, backgrounds, and skillsets within the Artemis I team," Lego Education said in a statement in November 2021.
Earthly plants
NASA aims to set up permanent bases in the moon's orbit and on its surface, paving the way to eventually send astronauts to Mars.
Reliably cultivating crops in space will be necessary for would-be space travelers to survive longer missions. To that end, the space agency wants to understand how to grow plants in space for food and oxygen on the moon or during space missions.
A variety of tree and plant seeds are on board Artemis I as part of experiments to study the effects of space radiation on them. According to a statement by Sharmila Bhattacharya, NASA program scientist for space biology, they'll "help us understand a unique aspect of how biological systems can adapt and thrive in deep space."
"Gathering information like this and analyzing it after flight will eventually help us paint the full picture of how we can help humans thrive in deep space," Bhattacharya added.
Space exploration artifacts
As part of Artemis I's Official Flight Kit, which contains about 120 pounds of mementos, several artifacts from previous space missions are in the Orion spacecraft.
A small piece of moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission, an Apollo 11 mission patch, and a bolt from one of Apollo 11's F-1 engines are along for the ride.
Objects of cultural significance are also on the roundtrip journey, including a 3D-printed replica of the Greek goddess Artemis, and a pebble from the lowest dry land surface on Earth, the shore of the Dead Sea — venturing further than any human has gone before.
This story has been updated with new information. It was originally published on August 18, 2022.
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